April 7, 2010 at 9:03 am
I am in a dilemma. I have two DBA job offers of which i have to make a decision.
Company A: A large well known Banking Institution with almost 30 DBAs, SQL Server + Oracle (Production & Developers) with quite large amount of data. The job offer is a 6 month contract with an option of renewal. Pays a little better than company B.
Company B: A Small medium company with 1 DBA(who is going to be me) 3 developers and not so much amount of data. The company not well known. This a full time offer DBA position.
Now, I am not sure which i should go with. With company A, i know i will be on the street after 6 months looking for another job, but i think it add a lot to my resume and experience.
What do you guys think?..what would you do?
April 7, 2010 at 1:31 pm
That's easy: It depends 😀
You need to think about what's best for YOU. It's not relevant what we think would be best for us. Some of us might vote for option A, others for option B. And every one of us would be able to argue for one and against the other.
That depends on numerous things: life situation (single, DINC, MWC), age, experience, life expectation (where/in what situation do I want to be a year from now), personal preferences, job requirements, company reputation... an almost endless list.
What would I do? I know it. But, honestly, that's not relevant in any way for your decision.
There are some decisions in life we have to make on our own (or based on a discussion with people we know and trust). That's one of it.
April 7, 2010 at 1:42 pm
I'm going to have to agree with Lutz on this one. You, and your family if you are married, need to make this decision.
April 7, 2010 at 2:28 pm
Thanks for the responces..but at least a suggestion would have been ok.
April 7, 2010 at 2:32 pm
bugop (4/7/2010)
Thanks for the responces..but at least a suggestion would have been ok.
Putting what everyone else has said aside, does this help....
If you are the type of person who learns better from others than you do when learning "on your own" then go for the 6 month contract position. There is nothing more valuable than working with a group of DBA's with various levels of experience.
I would look at the long run. Yeah, you'll be "out on the street" in 6 months with the one position, but you'll probably gather more experience.
Just my 2 cents....
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Jason L. SelburgApril 7, 2010 at 3:38 pm
Some places use a 6 month contract to "try you out". If you do a good job, they'll turn it into a FT job. If not, bye bye. Can you find out if this is the case with "A"?
Wayne
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server 2008
Author - SQL Server T-SQL Recipes
April 7, 2010 at 3:57 pm
WayneS (4/7/2010)
Some places use a 6 month contract to "try you out". If you do a good job, they'll turn it into a FT job. If not, bye bye. Can you find out if this is the case with "A"?
I'm not sure if this would apply to option B as well... (what are the regulations -if any- of a FT job in terms of "try you out")?
Over here in Germany you're usually on probation for 6 month. The only difference between a 6 month part time job vs. a FT job offer would be that the former would tend to end (still having the opotion to turn it into FT though) and the latter tend to last "longer" (but might end as well after 6 month).
It seems like there is a trend over here to use the former option at the lower wage scale (try-out and hire) and the latter at the "upper end" (hire and fire) (not talking about management positions, of course....)
The reason might be that with increasing income the willingness for short-time jobs goes down (excluding contracting). Speaking of contracting: since this is more common at the engineering leevel this might be the cause for not seeing that many short term contracts...
That's all guessing though...
April 7, 2010 at 5:15 pm
I've taken a six month contract that I finally left for a new job after 2 years. Remember there are certain accounting rules that make it easier to bring a contractor on than hire a new employee (yes, it costs more for the contractor, but I'm not an accountant, so I can't fully explain the nuiances of budgets)
Other things to keep in mind:
1) As a contractor, you are frequently 1099, with no withholding (so pay estimated taxes quarterly)...don't get used to the big check
2) As a contractor, if 1099, you have to pay both sides of SS and medicare. So just immediately lop off 7.65% of the hourly rate for the extra taxes (I'm sorry, payroll "contribution's")
3) As a contractor, you can set up a corporation and deduct more (If you want to buy a new laptop for yourdelf, that would be deductible, so are alot of other things)...I'm not an accountant, don't take my financial advice without checking with one first.
4) As a contractor, I never really had a sense of belonging at the company. that maybe different for different people. I've worked at companies where a contractor has had the same position for 15 years, and they still did not use we.
5) As a contractor, if you mess up, it's very easy just to walk you out the door a 2 in the afternoon, with no recourse for the contractor (I've seen it happen a dozen times)
6) As a contractor, you don't get insurance if your 1099 (if you have a spouse not a problem, if your single, add up another 400 a month in expenses, albeit deductable if you incorporate)...I could make an Obama comment here, but I'll refrain.
7) As a contractor, no bonus, no vacation, no holidays. The lack of vacation and holidays do add up.
8) As a contractor, 60 hours weeks are awesome, you can make up for a lot of #7 and even end up ahead. If you need a day off, hust work 10 hour days for the other 4.
9) As a contractor, you do have to religously remember to get your time sheet signed and sumbitted, otherwise, you won't be paid in a timely fashion.
There is a lot more to consider than just the straight forward wage difference.
That being said, in your situation, there is a lot to be said about working with a big team. You learn quite a bit from the other people, you have peole that can back you up on night/weekends/holiday's. If your the only one, be prepared for lot's of off-hours calls.
You have to make the decision, but there are dozens of variables that go into the equation.
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April 7, 2010 at 5:37 pm
I like the option of Company A.
Why?
Because this company has a team of DBAs which means you could very likely learn a lot. There will be less confusion during knowledge transfer and processes should continue just fine. With that many DBAs there should be substantially fewer fires to fight per DBA on a daily basis - meaning you have more quality time to accomplish tasks and projects.
Company B offers some knowledge growth but requires that you bring it yourself. There is nobody to question or pester about the ins and outs of the company processes and databases. The flip-side is you get to control the database environment.
Company A also probably has substantially more solutions in place that use different features or skill-sets than Company B. In other words Company A is likely more complex with even more to learn.
Jason...AKA CirqueDeSQLeil
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April 7, 2010 at 6:14 pm
Oh, personal note. In 1998, I started a position for a 6 month contract. I left it almost 8 years later.
Wayne
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server 2008
Author - SQL Server T-SQL Recipes
April 11, 2010 at 7:37 pm
First of all I would think that since the economy is the way it is you should make the decision that’s going to be lasting.
Depending on whether you have a family or not is a major factor that could turn option a into a risk rather than an opportunity.
In my own opinion, I think that option B would be a huge opportunity for you. First off because you are going to be the only DBA in the company you may be considered an asset rather than just a number to the company.
Also you would probably have a much larger influence on the company and decisions made throughout the company since it is so small.
If you are married I would also suggest that you put in consideration your spouses feelings about these job offers.
Maybe you two could make the decisions together. Ultimately it will be up to you since you will be the one actually working the job.
Maybe a pro and con list would help you. Weigh out the pro’s and con’s of each job offer and see which one works best for you and your family.
Remember not to take too much time to think or you may lose both opportunities.
PROS FOR OPTION B:
1. It may be easier to keep your job because the company depends on you
2. You may learn more about dealing with upper management as there are fewer layers between you and top management
3. You may be able to influence your salary in the longer run as there are fewer resources to compare your performance against
4. You have a full-time job
CONS FOR OPTION B:
1. You are starting with a lower salary
2. You are working in a smaller team and for a smaller company
3. You have less opportunity for growth and for learning from peers!
April 11, 2010 at 11:44 pm
KingsleyTagbo (4/11/2010)
Remember not to take too much time to think or you may lose both opportunities.
Let's hope that is not already the case.
Jason...AKA CirqueDeSQLeil
_______________________________________________
I have given a name to my pain...MCM SQL Server, MVP
SQL RNNR
Posting Performance Based Questions - Gail Shaw[/url]
Learn Extended Events
April 12, 2010 at 2:40 am
With many DBAs in option A, as a contractor you are going to be stuck in a little niche doing what you already know - there's usually little training for contractors who are brought in with a specific skill set to do a job and are regarded as short term.
Option B has not only the job security but a great chance to learn across the whole range of SQL Server. Ask if they will offer you any training courses but using the power of books and the internet - especially SSC - you will expand your knowledge far more because you are the only one who can do it than in option A where someone else will probably know it already so they get the task.
Just remember to apply ITIL principles and keep development, test and live systems strictly seperate with tested and controlled updates, something which doesn't always happen in small firms and is the root cause of many of their problems.
April 12, 2010 at 9:27 am
In addtion to the stability potential of option B, particularly if you have a family, there is a lot to be said for being "the main db dude". I would find that more entertaining than working on the big team. Big fish in a small pond vs small fish in a big pond and all that.
April 12, 2010 at 9:48 am
What country are the job offers in?
this will mean a lot to the answers, as I know in the UK and several other countries, Germany has been mentioned. You are probation for the first 6 months.
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